Season Fourth Round and Kessel Racing again asserts itself on the French Paul Ricard Track! Ferrari Challenge Europe 2017 is officially on a break until September, when it will return to Silverstone for the British stage, a tradition for the red mono. Even on French soil, the Challenge attracted the enthusiastic participation from its drivers and fans present, enticed by the Prancing Horse, which, this year, marks seventy years since its birth.
Kessel Racing, in France, fielded no less than seven cars, with Marc Muzzo, who joined Ettore Contini in the Pirelli Trophy in the AM class, while Claudio Schiavoni, Deborah a Mayer, Rick Lovat, Murat Cuharadoglu and Fons Scheltema were, as always, on the track in the Shell Cup.
Saturday, in Race One of the Pirelli Trophy, Marc Muzzo finished in fourth place, just missing the podium, in his first drive at Paul Ricard, while Ettore Contini finished his race in fifth place. In the Shell Cup, Race One saw Rick Lovat fourth, Scheltema fifth, Cuhadaroglu ninth place, eleventh was Schiavoni and Deborah Mayer came third among the Ladies.
Sunday, closing day weekend of the Provençale weekend, saw both categories contest the last races. In the Pirelli Trophy, in the AM class, Contini came in third-place and Marc Muzzo again finished in fourth place. In the Shell Cup, in the Gentlemen, veteran Fons Scheltema came fourth, Schiavoni fifth place and Lovat finished ninth.
With Paul Ricard behind us, Kessel Racing already has the Belgian Spa-Francorchamps on the horizon. Next weekend sees the fourth stage of the Blancpain Endurance Series with the "24 Hours", a prestigious endurance race which will attract over sixty GT3 class cars with over two hundred drivers, from all over the world.
Ronnie Kessel (Team Owner): "The track of Le Castellet is always the scene of great battles. Even when I drove in the Challenge it was a battle to the death with three or four other drivers. It’s always hot, made hotter by the dark asphalt, and if you push the car too much in the early stages, you are likely to find yourself in trouble. Our drivers did well, all of them important players in the 488 Challenge. Contini, after only a few races is already on the podium, as he was in the 430. Scheltema acquitted himself well, as did all the others. We now have the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps as our priority. We want to do well, as we have in recent seasons. Follow us and let us feel your support. On such an important occasion, that support will be crucial".